Arctic Summer Collegehttps://arcticsummercollege.org
Arctic Summer College RSS FEEDenArctic States Leave the Shadows of Black Carbon and Methane https://arcticsummercollege.org/arctic-states-leave-shadows-black-carbon-and-methane
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://arcticsummercollege.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Pic7.JPG?itok=Qj07xk7U" width="220" height="165" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong>With national reports on black carbon and methane emissions submitted, the Arctic Council lays a solid groundwork for setting common reduction targets in 2017. </strong></p>
<p>By Freja C. Eriksen</p>
<p>Home to about four million people, it may seem that what the Arctic’s inhabitants - even working together - can do to mitigate climate change, is be a drop in rising oceans. In 2015, however, the Arctic Council unanimously adopted a framework directed at just this. This for the first time, according to environmental lawyer at Earthjustice Erika Rosenthal.</p>
<ul><li>They will for the first time be tackling climate change mitigation… Arctic nations have an opportunity to lead, Rosenthal said to <a href="http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674arctic_council_black_carbon_deal_a_breakthrough_u.s_lawyer_says/">NunatsiaqOnline</a> in April last year.</li>
</ul><p>The framework, <a href="https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/bitstream/handle/11374/610/ACMMCA09_Iqaluit_2015_SAO_Report_Annex_4_TFBCM_Framework_Document.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y">Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions Reductions – An Arctic Council Framework for Action</a>, was adopted by the Arctic Council in April 2014. But about a year and four months later, what are the results of its existence?</p>
<p><strong>To erase dark areas </strong></p>
<p>To clarify, the framework is directed at reducing black carbon and methane. Quick reductions in black carbon and methane have been identified as a possible way to reduce Arctic warming temporarily over the next few decades. Though this will not turn around global warming, it may prove a valuable temporary staller.</p>
<p>Black carbon, a component of what we commonly call soot, has an especially visible effect in the Arctic. The images of sparkling white ice sheets we associate with the Arctic are darkening as a result of black carbon emissions. Black carbon from <a href="http://www.thearcticinstitute.org/keeping-the-arctic-white-black-carbon-and-international-law/">diesel vehicles, shipping, electricity, open burning and gas flaring</a> settles on and covers ice caps, absorbing instead of reflecting sunlight. This creates warming, increases melting and gradually causes a snowball effect - no pun intended. More exposed dark water warms and creates further melting.</p>
<p>Reducing emissions of black carbon and methane in the Arctic itself might therefore have a greater effect than thought, at least in the short run. Though the Arctic is only inhabited by just above four million, the eight Arctic nations - Canada, USA, Russian Federation, Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden - add up to many more. The Arctic States and the Council’s Observer States are, according to <a href="http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/our-work2/8-news-and-events/372-bcm-cop21">Kaarle Kupiainen</a>, estimated to make up 50% of the global anthropogenic black carbon and methane emitted.</p>
<p><strong>Laying common ground </strong></p>
<p>The Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions Reductions Framework has four elements - striving for a ‘common vision’, ‘national action’, ‘collective action’, and ‘action by others’ - which can be evaluated at this point. A common vision has been set through the adaptation of the framework, the first step the Council has taken to mitigate global warming ever. That is, in itself, considered a breakthrough by some. National action, the second element of the framework, is supported by the reports all Arctic nations must submit a year into the process. The <a href="https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/1168">first batch of these reports</a>, from September 2015, may give us an idea of the progress in reductions. While they vary in focus, length and of course content, they show eight states gathering their very diverse data on black carbon and methane emissions, foremost creating a valuable basis for future comparison and cooperation. A closer look at the inventories suggests a general decline, and projections of further decline, in black carbon emissions. Methane emissions have increased in more states (in e.g. USA, Denmark and recently slightly in Canada – though not in Sweden). An <a href="https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/1169">additional eight Observer States and the EU have submitted their own inventories</a>, showing commitment to the aim of action by others than the Arctic States themselves. </p>
<p>As the framework is non-binding and will set no targets for reductions until 2017, there are no numbers yet, we can hold member states accountable to. Yet, as reports come in they will be evaluated by the Arctic Council’s Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane. This linking of scientific research and mitigation efforts is a step forward. In 2017, the Council will meet again to set collective targets for reductions, and thus the level of collective action will meet its test. So far, a solid ground work has been laid.</p>
<p><em>Photo credit: Freja C. Eriksen, photo of the end of Ilulissat Icefjord, which receded by 12 kilometers in just one year between 2002 and 2003 and attracts tourists from far - another impact of climate change.</em></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 16:49:16 +0000katherine.weingartner@ecologic.eu235 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/arctic-states-leave-shadows-black-carbon-and-methane#commentsIn Nuuk: Seeing the Bright Sides and Low Tides of Melting Ice https://arcticsummercollege.org/nuuk-seeing-bright-sides-and-low-tides-melting-ice
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://arcticsummercollege.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Pic5.JPG?itok=ppnbsTmF" width="220" height="131" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong>In Greenland’s capital Nuuk, climate change is palpable as a snow-poorer season, a home-grown potato, a new fish in the ocean. As seen by 15 inhabitants, an anthropologist, an ice fjord fisherman and the Minister of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture, nature’s changes can bring both obstacles and possibilities. </strong></p>
<p>August 2016. Nuuk-Ilulissat.</p>
<p>By Freja C. Eriksen</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The world’s northernmost capital city, Nuuk, holds a fourth of Greenland’s population, a little more than 17.000 people. You may picture it with snow, below zero, your breath hanging white in the air. But around August, Nuuk is snow free and, in many’s memory, snow is growing lesser and lesser at other times of the year too. The cold covered season seems shorter, temperatures feel warmer, the goose feathered jackets ever thinner.</p>
<p>Of all the 15 inhabitants I interviewed in Nuuk, no one refuted a change in climate. 15 out of 15 sensed a change. Whether teenagers, fishermen, bankers or kindergarten teachers, everyone noted a difference in weather.</p>
<p>But climate change to Nuuk’s inhabitants is sometimes just as simple as that: change. Neither bad nor good. Something you adapt to. And to some, even a positive influence. These are some of the initial impressions I have drawn from the empirical work of my master’s thesis conducted in August 2016 in Nuuk.</p>
<p>As part of my master’s thesis within Journalism, Media and Globalization, I have interviewed 15 inhabitants of Nuuk about what they make of climate change. Through five focus group interviews, I have tried to understand how inhabitants of the capital city make sense of climate change – how they make it tangible and understandable through examples, common metaphors and ideas. More scholarly put, the thesis is a study of how different inhabitants of Nuuk make sense of climate change and its impacts in Greenland through media and personal experience.</p>
<p><strong>Nature, Hunters and Adaptation’s Way </strong></p>
<p>Part of the thesis’ aim is to understand how media consumption and personal experience interact and influence perceptions of climate change and its impacts. Do inhabitants refer to news articles and documentaries to explain their positions, or are personal observations and stories passed on between people and generations used as points of reference?</p>
<p>Though I will not share all my conclusions here, having not done the final analysis of the data collected, I can share some initial impressions of the data (these are also included in my final paper for the Arctic Summer College). For now, I can point at four recurring topics which I expect will dominate my final analysis. Firstly, it was striking that many interviewees said they were sure of climate change’s existence, but did not necessarily see it as anthropogenic. Secondly, some interviewees laid a perhaps surprisingly strong emphasis on climate change’s positive impacts in Greenland. Thirdly, many interviewees found personal experience (from talking to elders or hunters, for example) more trustworthy than media accounts. And lastly, I suspect a closer analysis will show a quite varied and relatively limited attention to and interest in media accounts of climate change.</p>
<p><strong>Fishing for Answers</strong></p>
<p>After interviewing 15 inhabitants of Nuuk about their perceptions of climate change, it has become clear to me, that the impacts of a warming climate are first and foremost connected to the largest industry in Greenland: fishery. Outside of academic interviews, this was illustrated in interviews with a Greenlandic anthropologist, an ice fjord fisherman and a minister.</p>
<p>The Greenlandic Government, Naalakkersuisut, is placed in a square tower – the tallest in Nuuk – on top of the city’s only shopping center. Here, I am invited to talk with Nikolaj Jeremiassen, Greenland’s Minister of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture. Jeremiassen started his career in fishing when he was a boy and has kept this career until he became a Minister in May 2016. He wears a heavy golden watch and has two tattoos on one arm – his name and a sailor’s heart. From his experience, he says, conditions have become better for the fishing and hunting industry. At least seen from the perspective of Nuuk.</p>
<p>"But if you move up towards the Disco Bay area, there a lot has changed about being a hunter. You cannot exist as a hunter today unless you combine it with some fishing," the Minister points out.</p>
<p>Although I might have noticed that his hair is greying, he adds, the coastline of Greenland is so long that he has not yet travelled its full distance. The Minister can only speak of his own experiences, he notes. Still, his perspective of climate change is pragmatic. </p>
<p>"Well, it is not the climate that adapts to the people, it is the people that have to adapt to the climate. And we know that fact from our own people. We have always had to adapt according to nature. And generally, that is nothing new."</p>
<p>In said Disco Bay, I talk to Klaus Rasmussen, a fisherman in Ilulissat Icefjord, a bit further north than Nuuk and above the Polar Circle. He, on the other hand, sees the warming climate in Greenland as mainly negative.</p>
<p>"I think it has made things much worse. Before, I have caught… in 1999, 77 tons. Last year I only caught 18 tons [of fish]."</p>
<p>He too has been fishing since he was a child, and notices the changes clearly.</p>
<p>"It has changed a lot. The water has become much warmer, we have noticed. Plus, the halibut, they are more up North now because of the heat."</p>
<p>A small change in water temperatures and sea currents can mean a change in subsistence. Where Rasmussen used to catch halibut, he now mostly finds cod.</p>
<p>"There are many cod. Cod are much cheaper than halibut and you have to remove the head and intestines, it takes a long time to clean the fish."</p>
<p>Rasmussen says that he and the other fishermen are earning a little less now, fishing for cod instead of halibut.</p>
<p>"We get 20 kroner for halibut and 6,50 kroner for cod. But then we catch many cod. They are easier to catch."</p>
<p>He also fishes a lot in the Icefjord with his dogs, but conditions for fishing with the dogsled have become harder. The ice is only there to sled on from December to March-April, he estimates.</p>
<p>"I am an Icefjord fisherman myself, I fish a lot with dogs. That has changed a lot. We have bad ice now every time. There is not so much ice anymore. Before it was from October until June," Rasmussen says.</p>
<p>In Nuuk, Greenlandic anthropologist Lene Kielsen Holm has recorded this transition through her projects Sila Inuk and The Meaning of Sea Ice, conducted in a transdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from glaciology, geology, anthropology and the hunters and fishers from Northern to Southern Greenland themselves. She can testify to Rasmussen’s observations.</p>
<p>"There is a transition from hunting to fishing taking place… Everywhere where there are dogsleds - that is north of the Polar Circle - many changes are happening. There are some places where you almost have no dogsleds left because there is no sea ice during the winter. Especially if they live on an island where there is water around you all year round, then it makes no sense to keep dogs. And it is very expensive - it is like feeding humans," Holm says.</p>
<p><strong>Some shortcomings</strong></p>
<p>These were some first impressions of the data collected for the thesis Local Discourses of Global Climate Change: A Case Study from Greenland, which I am currently writing at the University of Hamburg, while enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus Master’s of Journalism, Media and Globalisation.</p>
<p>It is important to note that inhabitants of Nuuk do not represent the opinions of the rest of Greenland’s population. Nor is a qualitative study, such as the one I have conducted, meant to be representative of all of Nuuk’s inhabitants. It is simply a detailed look at what 15 inhabitants of Nuuk thought about climate change and its impacts on Greenlandic society.</p>
<p>As a ‘flyfrisk’, fresh from the flight, visitor to Greenland, there are natural limitations to my levels of cultural insight and understanding. But I have tried my utmost to understand some of what makes climate change make sense to an inhabitant of Greenland’s capital city. Similarly, it is a limitation of my study, that I have only been able to talk to the Danish speaking part of Nuuk’s population as I do not speak Greenlandic myself. These (and many more limitations), you will be able to read more about in my full thesis – along with some findings – if you are interested.</p>
<p>I would like to thank Jesper Nymand and Katja Vahl for all their help and hospitality in Nuuk.</p>
<p>If you are interested in reading the full thesis once it is written, reach me on Twitter, @FrejaCEriksen, or write to <a href="mailto:frejaceriksen@gmail.com">frejaceriksen@gmail.com. </a></p>
<p><em><em>Photo credit: Freja C. Eriksen, photo of pedestrians crossing near the main street of Nuuk downtown. </em></em></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 15:43:32 +0000katherine.weingartner@ecologic.eu234 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/nuuk-seeing-bright-sides-and-low-tides-melting-ice#commentsArctic Council Simulation: Arctic States Take Action Against Climate Change Forcershttps://arcticsummercollege.org/arctic-council-simulation-arctic-states-take-action-against-climate-change-forcers
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://arcticsummercollege.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Pic6.JPG?itok=SfnpmDiy" width="220" height="165" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><strong>For the second time, Arctic Council unanimously adopts framework to reduce black carbon and methane. </strong></p>
<p>(Virtual) Iqaluit, Canada. August 15, 2016</p>
<p>By Freja C. Eriksen</p>
<p>A unique Arctic Council Framework to reduce black carbon and methane emissions was - once again - adopted on April 24, 2015 at the Ministerial Meeting Simulation as part of this year's Arctic Summer College Program. The Arctic States unanimously agreed to enforce a framework that, although non-binding, should help mitigate climate change.</p>
<p>Senior Arctic Official of the USA, Meredith LeValley, stated,</p>
<p>"By slowing the warming of the Arctic in the near future we may help to maintain the integrity of this fragile ecosystem … The US believes that the Arctic Council could be an example of international agreement to reduce methane emissions and perhaps spark larger global reduction."</p>
<p>The USA is currently holding chairmanship of the Arctic Council and have proven devoted to tackling climate change and show global leadership through the Arctic Council. Represented at the meeting were also the Senior Arctic Officials of Norway, Denmark, Canada and Russia along with the Permanent Participant for the Saami Council.</p>
<p>The Arctic States have agreed on submitting reports in a year’s time, showing national black carbon and methane emissions and projections for future emissions, as recommended by the experts appointed to the Task Force on Black Carbon and Methane. Submitting these inventories of emissions will be supplemented by a catalogue of best practices and programs on mitigation from all the Arctic States. Expert in the Task Force, Tobias Neuhold, at the meeting highlighted the necessity and possible effectiveness of black carbon and methane reductions.</p>
<p>"Black carbon is a major contributor to global warming – arguably only second to carbon dioxide, he said."</p>
<p>It is estimated that only a tenth of the world’s black carbon is emitted by the Arctic States. However, about a third of black carbon’s warming effects in the Arctic can be attributed to emissions from the eight Arctic states themselves. Thus, a local effort to mitigate black carbon could have great effects. Methane, Neuhold explains, is also worth more attention.</p>
<p>"While methane doesn’t linger as long in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, it is initially far more devastating to the climate because of how it effectively it absorbs heat. The first two decades after it is released, methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide … So both types of emissions must be addressed if we want to effectively reduce the impact of climate change, Neuhold concluded."</p>
<p>All participating states showed enthusiasm for increasing cooperation within climate change mitigation and commencing this work more formally through the framework’s adaptation. Although some Arctic States undeniably contribute with higher emissions than others, it was agreed that this should not set back cooperation.</p>
<p>"The contributions from the Arctic States might be limited, but that doesn’t mean that the effort should be limited as well. The Arctic States are the ones that should be most concerned, said Senior Arctic Official from Denmark, Melina Kourantidou."</p>
<p>The Framework, <a href="https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/bitstream/handle/11374/610/ACMMCA09_Iqaluit_2015_SAO_Report_Annex_4_TFBCM_Framework_Document.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y">Enhanced Black Carbon and Methane Emissions Reductions – An Arctic Council Framework for Action</a>, does not set any targets for reductions. This is, however, part of the plan. In 2017, states will reconvene to discuss common targets for reductions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>This article is based on the Arctic Council Simulation performed by participants of the Arctic Summer College 2016 on August 15. <em>Photo credit: Freja C. Eriksen, photo of two men in Ilulissat head out by boat in the evening. </em></em></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 15:35:45 +0000katherine.weingartner@ecologic.eu233 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/arctic-council-simulation-arctic-states-take-action-against-climate-change-forcers#comments100 Days In: COP21 and the Arctic’s Future - An Era of Energy Transitionhttps://arcticsummercollege.org/100-days-cop21-and-arctic%E2%80%99s-future-era-energy-transition-0
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>100 days after the successful negotiation of a global climate agreement in Paris, the Arctic is facing some of the warmest winter temperatures on record. As communities face threats to personal safety, livelihood, and culture, one pressing question remains: what effect has and will the COP21 agreement have on the four million people that call the Arctic home? <br /><br />Arctic policymakers and residents are facing a unique opportunity to reinvent circumpolar energy development for a sustainable future. The COP21 agreement and volatile oil markets have created a path for renewable technology innovation to thrive in the high north, simultaneously providing affordable energy and economic diversification.<br />On March 21, 2016 this 90-minute long webinar brought together three experts in conversation about the Arctic at COP21, its effects on the region today, and the prospects for renewable energy for both mitigation and adaptation.<br /><br /><strong>Sébastien Duyck </strong>(Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law, University of Lapland) informed the international audience about the implications of the Paris Agreement on the Arctic and international climate governance. Observing long-term goals included in the Paris Agreement, he highlighted the importance of strong emission cuts for the Arctic. Despite the legally non-binding character of the Agreement, Sébastien concluded that it is sending a strong signal to all states.<br /><br />Next, <strong>Piper Foster Wilder</strong> (Renewable Energy Alaska Project, REAP) emphasized the advantages of renewable energy in Alaska, possibly resulting in lower energy bills whilst similarly supporting climate change efforts in the Arctic region. Furthermore, she underlined the prospective of high employment rates in the renewable energy sector, a win-win situation for climate change supporters and local inhabitants of Alaska.<br /><br />Last but certainly not least, <strong>Julia Gourley</strong> (Senior Arctic Official, Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs, U.S. Department of State) talked about the Arctic Council and the Paris Agreement. After a short introduction of the Arctic Council, Julia outlined in which way the Arctic Council can contribute to the mitigation of climate change: the Task Force on Black Carbon and Methane, the Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy (ARENA), the Safety Guidelines for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and generally by supporting Arctic-focused exchange programs.<br /><br />A thirty-minute discussion and Q&amp;A session concluded the event.<br /><br />Organizers:<br />The Ecologic Institute, Berlin Germany (Arne Riedel, <a class="mailto" href="mailto:arne.riedel@ecologic.eu">arne.riedel@ecologic.eu<span class="mailto"><span class="element-invisible"> (link sends e-mail)</span></span></a>)<br />The Arctic Institute, Washington DC (Victoria Herrmann, <a class="mailto" href="mailto:victoria.herrmann@thearcticinstitute.org">victoria.herrmann@thearcticinstitute.org<span class="mailto"><span class="element-invisible"> (link sends e-mail)</span></span></a>)</p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 08 Aug 2016 15:42:29 +0000katherine.weingartner@ecologic.eu230 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/100-days-cop21-and-arctic%E2%80%99s-future-era-energy-transition-0#commentsInnovation in the Arctichttps://arcticsummercollege.org/innovation-arctic
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>As a Canadian invested in northern and Arctic issues it is frustrating to note the lack of innovation in infrastructure, food &amp; energy security, and health care &amp; education access in the region, and its negative impacts on human development. Existing technologies, for example in greenhouse food production, small scale energy production, and telehealth, could be applied in new and locally relevant ways in the north, contributing to local self-sufficiency, providing new employment opportunities, and improving quality of life, but often aren’t. We know so much about the problems in Arctic development but so little about solutions. What are the barriers?</p>
<p>Much has been written in the past decade about the creative class – the drivers of economic development and early adopters of technologies. The leaders of economic development in the information age are those who contribute to the knowledge economy, and they are often – usually – found in large cities where the variety of networks and collections of smart people converge to produce innovative ideas, and where capital and the entrepreneurial spirit exists in a way that they can commercialize these.</p>
<p>The flip side of this phenomenon is that the kind of innovation that leads to economic development is unlikely to originate in rural and remote areas, and these may fall further behind as technological advancement occurs in faster and faster cycles in urban areas. </p>
<p>It is certainly not true that there is no innovation in the Arctic. Many of the Nordic countries, including communities in their Arctic areas, are world leading in some areas. And there are hotspots of creativity – in particular artistic talents and engagement in civic leadership - which the literature tells us are important preconditions for innovation. The Arctic region has borne some of the most exciting and innovative governance arrangements in the world in the past four decades, and large resource extraction projects have relied on new and better methods to make them profitable in increasingly remote locales and amid increasingly robust environmental regulations. But many of the things that most impact the daily life of Northerners are still done the way they were three or four decades ago, from housing design and diesel energy generation, to flying in food, nurses and doctors. </p>
<p>A few things stand out as hurdles in improving the capacity of Arctic communities to develop and embrace new technologies and innovations. The first is a lack of educational attainment, especially in rural and indigenous communities. The North needs better science and math literacy, as well as individuals with post secondary qualifications in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields to modify and apply technologies developed for a southern or urban context to the particular needs of northern communities. </p>
<p>The second barrier is the inordinate size and scope of the public sector in northern economies. The public sector is notoriously risk adverse, and so long as bureaucrats make the bulk of planning decisions we should not expect experimentation with new ways and means.</p>
<p>The third is the conservative nature of rural and indigenous communities, a phenomenon evident far beyond the Arctic. Traditional ways of knowing are cherished and a sense of communal responsibility is reinforced, but this seems to have deterred entrepreneurialism and the processes that lead to commercialization. </p>
<p>A fourth challenge is the lack of economies of scale in the Arctic, particularly at the community level. It makes investment of capital in new applications of technology particularly risky and lacking a sufficient return on investment. In this way Arctic regions must collaborate closer – an application that works well in northern Alaska may be equally suitable in eastern Greenland or north-eastern Russia, as well as other remote locations throughout the world, such as island nations or the Australian Outback. Markets of a few million people are much more promising than markets of a few thousand people.</p>
<p>A fifth barrier is the lack of reliable and affordable telecommunications infrastructure. The internet promises to make health care, education, capital, ideas and networks of thinkers far more accessible to Northerners. But it is cripplingly expensive and of poor quality in many of the most remote Arctic locations. It is also worth noting that the internet is only a tool – Northerners will have to take advantage of the doors it opens, and this requires addressing the first four issues. </p>
<p>I expect in time – 30 years, 50 years maybe – many of these issues will be addressed. But it will not happen by accident. Innovation – the kind that creates jobs, opportunities and economies – needs to be pushed much harder in the Arctic, or the gap between rural and urban quality of life and social outcomes will continue to grow larger.</p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 19:06:50 +0000Heather Exner-Pirot194 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/innovation-arctic#commentsExperiences in the Russian Arctichttps://arcticsummercollege.org/experiences-russian-arctic
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://arcticsummercollege.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Petrozavodsk_FENOR.jpg?itok=lOsQCpTY" width="220" height="80" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>&quot;You have such an intense program!&quot; - that is what we hear quite often during these two weeks. Our &quot;nomadic&quot; Ph.D summer school &quot;Field Experiences in Northwest Russia&quot; (FENOR) organized jointly by European University at St. Petersburg and University of Vienna is over in just a couple of days, so it is the right time to share a few of first impressions from Arkhangelsk.</p>
<p>FENOR is designed as a traveling training course for Ph.D. students and young researchers and takes place in the Russian North. Senior and early career scholars from Austria, Finland, Hungary, Russia, and the USA are traveling together for two weeks participating in lectures, seminars, excursions and fieldwork. Moving northwards from St. Petersburg to the Arkhangelsk region, we experience local articulations of dwelling in these regions. We started the route from St. Petersburg, passed through Karelia, the Solovetsky islands, and yesterday took a flight to Arkhangelsk.</p>
<p>I would divide our experiences at FENOR into three main parts. First of all, every day we have lectures on various topics related to our common interest - the Arctic. We have discussed the definition of the Arctic as a concept (as it turns out, it cannot be defined objectively), human-animal relations in the North, indigenous communities of Russia, colonization of the North, the problem of Arctic extractive industries and many other relevant themes. </p>
<p>Another important part of the school is practical exercises in anthropological fieldwork. Probably the most notable experience we had was at Solovki (the Solovetsky islands) when we were divided into three groups and were observing various groups of people represented at the islands alongside with several short interviews. Solovki is an interesting example of a settlement which is to a large extent regulated by the famous monastery, and we discussed the interplay of different powers presented at the island. </p>
<p>Moreover, our summer school experience would undoubtedly be incomplete without excursions. The trip to Segezha pulp and paper factory advanced our discussion on industrial development in the North; the visit to a folklore village was important for understanding the processes of ethnocultural revival; while visiting White sea-Baltic Channel we had a chance to think about social memory and interpretations of history. </p>
<p>To me FENOR is a unique experience, as the nomadic format of the summer school allowes us to not only share our previous experiences in the Arctic, but also to learn from the common experience - by travelling together. This mobility means constant new (shared or contested) impressions, dialogues and discussions about the North, allowes comparisons and contrasts. Our travel in the Russian North will soon be over - but our academic journey is so much enriched. </p>
<p>The route of the summer school and some additional information can be found at <a href="http://eu.spb.ru/images/et_dep/sever/FENOR_announcement_english.pdf">http://eu.spb.ru/images/et_dep/sever/FENOR_announcement_english.pdf</a></p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 12 Aug 2015 18:17:21 +0000Anna Varfolomeeva193 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/experiences-russian-arctic#commentsCreating an Arctic economic area?https://arcticsummercollege.org/creating-arctic-economic-area
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The European Arctic, more precisely Norway, Sweden and Finland, have recently joined forces to create synergy for business development and growth in the Arctic. It seems that in the three Nordic countries the European (or Scandinavian) Arctic has been framed as an economic area with plenty of untapped potential, and the business sector and governments have taken initiative to create more established ground for arctic business development. </p>
<p>The Nordic Arctic Business Council was established in November 2014 and is a group of 20 Nordic companies with arctic business interests to give advice to Nordic governments on how to ensure better framework conditions for Nordic companies to operate in the arctic region. Environmentally sound sustainable economic development is identified as the prerequisite for a license to operate in the Arctic. </p>
<p>The Nordic Arctic Business Council cooperates closely with the Arctic Economic Council, which is an independent organization facilitating Arctic business-to-business activities and responsible economic development. It was established in September 2014 to serves as the primary forum for interaction between the Arctic Council and the wider circumpolar business community.</p>
<p>The report &#039;Growth from the North – How can Norway, Sweden and Finland achieve sustainable growth in the Scandinavian Arctic?&#039;, presented to the ministers in January 2015 takes as its starting point a statement that these three countries share common economic, environmental and social interests in the Scandinavian Arctic. The report identifies the following four business drivers in the region: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and renewables, greener mining solutions, increased tourism and ice and cold climate solutions. </p>
<p>Most recently, in March 2015, the Confederation of Finnish Industries released a report &#039;Strategic Vision for the North – Finland’s prospects for economic growth in the arctic region&#039;, commissioned from the former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen. According to the report, arctic business potential for Finland is substantial, with a wide range of opportunities in the sectors of industry, energy, cleantech, logistics, infra-construction and tourism. Gaining investments, both public and private, in the northern areas will benefit Europe as a whole, the report suggests. </p>
<p>As these initiatives show, both the industry and the governments in Norway, Sweden and Finland see the business opportunities and the potential for economic development in the Arctic. The region is seen as a place for growth and jobs that are indeed deeply needed in the North. </p>
<p>However, exploiting the full business potential of the Scandinavian Arctic is not a simple task. There are many things to be taken into account before economic growth can be realized in the Arctic. Two very concrete and interlinked issues, people and infrastructure, are of particular importance. </p>
<p>Developing industry in the Arctic must take place in cooperation with the people living in the region, be it indigenous or non-indigenous. Engaging local communities in active dialogue where their knowledge and competence have a real role to play, is a prerequisite for legitimate operations in the region. In addition, to achieve sustainable growth in the region, the business sector must have sufficient knowledge of the conditions and of the context where local communities live in. Mining projects in Norwegian, Finnish and Swedish Arctic, for example, have demonstrated how big a role the consent of locals can play in business projects in the Arctic. </p>
<p>The other challenge to tackle is mobility: without sufficient infrastructure the transportation of people and goods is impossible. At the moment there is a clearly recognised lack of infrastructure in the Scandinavian Arctic. The Finnish government has been an active advocate of railway connection through Finland to the Norwegian arctic coast, either to Tromso or to Kirkenes. The Norwegians have been positive to the idea, but many open questions remain, the biggest being undoubtedly the funding. It has also been suggested that the European Union could have the resources needed and lead the way as a locomotive to the European Arctic, providing means for European industry to reach the Highest North. </p>
<p>It remains to be seen how fast and in which scale the Scandinavian Arctic will be developed to an economic area. It is clear that the great potential of the region has been acknowledged, and the industry and governments alike are working hard on it. If the project turns out to be successful, it can bring great benefits to the people living in the North, and to the Nordic society as a whole.</p>
<p>For more information on the initiatives, organisation and projects described above, please check:<br />
<a href="http://ek.fi/wp-content/uploads/NABC-statement-Nov-2014.pdf">http://ek.fi/wp-content/uploads/NABC-statement-Nov-2014.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://ek.fi/wp-content/uploads/A-Strategic-Vision-for-the-North.pdf">http://ek.fi/wp-content/uploads/A-Strategic-Vision-for-the-North.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://site.uit.no/growthfromthenorth/files/2015/01/Growth-from-the-North-lowres-EN.pdf">http://site.uit.no/growthfromthenorth/files/2015/01/Growth-from-the-Nort...</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nrk.no/sapmi/kautokeino-sier-nei-til-gruve-1.11420378">http://www.nrk.no/sapmi/kautokeino-sier-nei-til-gruve-1.11420378</a><br />
<a href="http://barentsobserver.com/en/society/2013/08/swedish-government-abandoning-us-22-08">http://barentsobserver.com/en/society/2013/08/swedish-government-abandon...</a><br />
<a href="http://barentsobserver.com/en/nature/2015/05/local-opposition-buries-plans-diamond-mine-arctic-finland-11-05">http://barentsobserver.com/en/nature/2015/05/local-opposition-buries-pla...</a><br />
<a href="http://barentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2014/10/finnish-locomotive-seeks-arctic-port-17-10">http://barentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2014/10/finnish-locomotive-seeks-ar...</a></p>
<p>-----<br />
The author was born in the ice-free Helsinki, and has traveled through the woods of Northern Finland and Sweden to live in the Norwegian Arctic. She currently wears her &#039;fjellsko&#039; in Brussels.</p>
</div></div></div>Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:26:24 +0000Kiira Keski-Nirva192 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/creating-arctic-economic-area#commentsThe Practicality of the Arctic Five Forumhttps://arcticsummercollege.org/practicality-arctic-five-forum
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>In the wake of the agreement between the Arctic Five to ban commercial fishing in the Arctic “Donut Hole” – the region of international waters at the top of the world – there has been much discussion regarding the place of Arctic Five decision making versus decision making through the Arctic Council or other international bodies. Most of this talk has revolved around political motivations and whether it is proper that there are many avenues through which to address international Arctic policy. But I wish to focus on the basic positive or negative practicality of the two most recent and controversial acts by the Arctic Five: the Ilulissat Declaration and the recent ban on commercial fishing. </p>
<p>The Ilulissat Declaration is one of the most important acts of international Arctic governance in a relatively small but growing history of northern-specific international regulation. It essentially saw the Arctic Five commit themselves to the peaceful disposition of Arctic territorial disputes through the relevant provisions of the Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC). </p>
<p>On this issue, it made practical legal sense to work through the auspices of the Arctic Five arrangement rather than the Arctic Council or another forum. The only states with overlapping territorial claims in the Arctic are those within the Arctic Five. While the three additional members of the Arctic Council may have wished that they could at least have a voice in territorial discussions, these are issues of sovereignty that do not necessarily require their individual involvement. </p>
<p>To be sure, the extent to which an Arctic littoral state’s continental shelf and attached legal rights extends out into the Arctic Ocean is of concern to the international community. But the manner in which the Arctic Five have thus far addressed this situation makes the involvement of the additional states of the Arctic Council, and others, largely irrelevant. The Arctic Five have committed themselves to abiding by the LOSC, to which Iceland, Sweden, and Finland are party. Moreover, the LOSC governs all of the globe’s oceans, including the Arctic Ocean. Thus, the LOSC was the de facto method for resolving territorial issues in the High North to begin with, and one that the three additional Arctic Council states had essentially already endorsed as the correct means by becoming party to the treaty. </p>
<p>There is, of course, the issue of indigenous involvement in Arctic decision-making. Through the Arctic Five, this involvement is drastically curtailed. Within the Arctic Council, however, indigenous groups have a consultative role in all actions. They do not have such a role within the Arctic Five. However, although this is an important issue in terms of maintaining the precedent of indigenous involvement in Arctic affairs, issues of sovereignty and territory are largely within the realm of states. Furthermore, the territorial issues covered by the Ilulissat Declaration will likely have little impact on indigenous rights aside from the potentially damaging effect of an important Arctic decision process leaving out indigenous groups. </p>
<p>From a practical standpoint, the Arctic Five makes perfect sense as the avenue through which to pursue Arctic territorial issues and the Ilulissat Declaration. All of the parties with legal rights at stake were involved – whether directly or indirectly through their connection to the LOSC – and became committed to a certain course of action. In addition, it was also likely easier to reach an agreement on a possibly contentious issue through a forum involving fewer voices. </p>
<p>The recent ban on commercial fishing in the Arctic, however, is another matter. The Donut Hole at the center of the Arctic Ocean is legally international waters, or “high seas,” under the LOSC. This means that all states have extensive freedoms within this area and are severely limited in their ability to curtail the actions and rights of others. </p>
<p>The agreement by the Arctic Five to ban commercial fishing is therefore actually quite limited in its application. The states involved can commit to banning their own vessels from fishing within this area, but they cannot enforce this ban against the vessels of other nations on the high seas. The most they can do is institute domestic regulations that allow them to sanction foreign vessels should they enter a port or the territorial waters of one of the Arctic Five states. </p>
<p>Given the broad nature of high seas freedoms and rights, on a practical level, the Arctic Five does not appear to be the most effective venue for addressing fishing issues within the Donut Hole. While it is important that key Arctic fishing nations within the Arctic Five limit themselves, this does not prevent other important fishing nations from around the globe from harvesting within the central Arctic Ocean. </p>
<p>This issue is vividly illustrated by the case of the Aleutian Basin in the 1980s. There existed another “donut hole” of high seas within this area. Despite fishery regulations by the USSR and US within their respective waters around the Bering Strait, they legally could not stop fishing within the Aleutian Basin donut hole on their own. This area was therefore ravenously targeted by fishing vessels from Japan, South Korea, China, and others – even vessels from the USSR due to lax enforcement. Fisheries plummeted and have still not recovered despite the eventual establishment of an international fishing moratorium in 1993. </p>
<p>Since the Arctic Donut Hole involves high seas, the Arctic Five can be seen to not be the most practical or effective means of preventing commercial fishing within it. A forum with more international involvement is needed to truly address fishing issues in this region, likely one even more inclusive than the Arctic Council. </p>
<p>The analyses of the actions of the Arctic Five above show that this forum has its place within international Arctic governance, but that it also has its limitations. The keys are the issues at stake and interests involved. Where only the interests and rights of the members of the Arctic Five are involved, the forum is an excellent means of addressing issues. However, when the broader Arctic or international community has interests and rights at stake, the Arctic Five is likely not the most practical venue for decision-making.</p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 07 Aug 2015 17:46:25 +0000Andreas Kuersten191 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/practicality-arctic-five-forum#commentsIndigenous Participation at COP21https://arcticsummercollege.org/indigenous-participation-cop21
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://arcticsummercollege.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blogpicture.jpg?itok=WGsEt1qO" width="220" height="124" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>After our interesting lectures today by Leena Heinämäki and Alexey Tsykarev, it is interesting to look at how Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic may influence proceedings at COP21, upcoming in December 2015, through the Arctic Council. </p>
<p>At COP17, 2001, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, former Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, gave a speech catapulting Arctic cultural issues into the global environmental agenda which, led to the Stockholm Convention banning the use of persistent organic pollutants, that move up the food chain, putting indigenous peoples of the Arctic at risk. To date, the Arctic Council has produced a number of reports that have been attributed to influencing the climate change discussion on a global level. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), published in 2002, provided the first detailed assessment of climate change in the region, plummeting issues to a global audience and providing a scientific base for policy discussions. In 2004, this was followed by the Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR) which, gave a holistic and comprehensive analysis on how these environmental changes may impact the people of the region with close attention paid to the Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples were involved in these publications, in all stages of the process from the original idea to final output, through the Permanent Participants who represent them and through Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic who are engaged as Traditional Knowledge holders. </p>
<p>The current Arctic Council chairmanship is held by the United States of America, which is poignant considering their lack of commitment to the first COP. This time, it may be different. Led by Kerry, the US has made climate change a key priority for their chairmanship and with a wealth of past Arctic Council reports and initiatives behind him, the US may now take a strong lead in the discussions. Indigenous Peoples, through the Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council, will, capacity allowing, be party to all decisions leading up to COP21 and perhaps, a strong Arctic Indigenous voice will be heard.</p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 06 Aug 2015 22:19:19 +0000Michaela Louise Coote190 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/indigenous-participation-cop21#commentsArctic Governance - A process of engagement of Arctic and Non-Arctic Nationshttps://arcticsummercollege.org/arctic-governance-process-engagement-arctic-and-non-arctic-nations
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://arcticsummercollege.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2011-11-18%2520Webcamnyhed%2520forside.jpg?itok=zA7HZUh5" width="220" height="105" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Despite of the diffuse and imprecise concept of governance we can accept the interdisciplinary feature of governance and the constant search for efficiency in a completely fragmented, multidimensional and changeable reality. Another important element of the concept of governance is the plurality of the modes of control that can forge new models of politics, new economic systems, new models of development in order to deal with risks and opportunities at a larger scale.<br />
When reflecting about governance and security in the 21st century and figuring out its new contours it is important to have in mind that this transition should have as a base, more inclusive, democratic and durable patterns of decision-making in order to realign and, in the long run, reshape the current governance model.</p>
<p>An innovative governance model should be an instrument of equality and efficiency more than an instrument of technological control, economic supremacy, or ‘extractivism’ and should address the gaps between the formal institutional order and the way it appears in reality. </p>
<p>Arctic governance in times of carbon constraint activities cannot be a laboratory for social and environmental experiences, it should be an assertive process of providing access to energy and resources at affordable prices and it should try to reduce the tension among different stakeholders’ interests with transparency and trust-building approach. It should also be an opportunity for institutions and entrepreneurs to innovate their business-as-usual practices considering the particular conditions of different regions under the aspiration of sustainability. </p>
<p>A good contribution to this necessary transformation would be to contextualize the study of governance in a more general framework of understanding the processes of institutionalization and of a shift toward poly-centred policies, politics and policy-making, but it is a matter of thinking and practicing governance as a state-centred or society-centred dynamic (Levi-Faur, 2012).</p>
<p>The root of the word governance relates to steering a boat, but a boat needs a clear destination. The Arctic political framework seems to be in need of a clear ‘destination’, clear targets, and clear implementation tools based on public transparency and trust-building approach among stakeholders from the Arctic and non-Arctic world.</p>
<p>Governance also implies some conception of accountability, so that the actors involved in setting goals and then in attempting to reach them, whether through public or private action, must be held accountable for their actions to society (Van Keersbergen and Van Waarden 2004). It is crucial to understand how Arctic and non-Arctic States will position themselves in terms of responsibility and compliance.</p>
<p>As governance involves collective action on collective goals and it is an essentially political concept, we believe that effective governance may be better provided with the involvement of the state actors and broader reflection of forms of public action (Levi-Faur, 2012).</p>
<p>The basic functions of the process of governance involve activities related to goal selection, coordination, implementation, and accountability. It involves designing the highest levels of responsible development. Goal selection and coordination requires acknowledgement and integration of goals across all levels of the system by establishing priorities. Implementation can be performed by state actors but also may involve social actors (Levi-Faur, 2012).</p>
<p>Accountability is an important mean for improving the quality of decision-making and enforcement system. Governance has a pronounced normative element, as well as the empirical element, which must be considered when analysing governance decisions not only for democratization reasons but as a legitimate instrument of democracy.</p>
<p>Processes of democratic governance try to create a space for reaching resolutions that can claim to be a legitimate expression of the voice of the people (Levi-Faur, 2012). A process of sharing ideas and values to build up a common view. It implies that good governance models are characterized by a shared-value approach.</p>
<p>One of the reasons that make governance a crucial concept and practice for the present and the future is that it carries the meaning of change. Presently, taking into account the main challenges of modern times it is essential to take governance more as an interactive process of steering and coordinating than as a static structure or framework.</p>
<p>The environmental changes visible in the Arctic will affect all nations that will need, at a certain point to position themselves about the components discussed above. As a researcher in the UK I can comment about the latest ‘Government Response to the House of Lords Select Committee Report HL 118 of Session 2014-15: Responding to a changing Arctic’ as one of the first documents showing the government position about the Arctic Policy Framework.</p>
<p>The UK Government, in this response, outlined concrete steps towards a more influential scientific and political role in the Arctic as an active player in many international scientific organizations, reinforcing the partnership with the Arctic Council, by building coordination across political and scientific bodies and other non-Arctic states to: </p>
<p>• improve our knowledge of Arctic methane and other gases released from various sources to determine their size and distribution and dependence on temperature;<br />
• improve predictions of both the rates and consequences of permafrost thaw during the 21st century, including feedbacks to climate;<br />
• quantify and understand the controls on carbon fluxes in permafrost environments, and on the implications for global radiative-forcing;<br />
• quantify the melt-driven biogas production and nutrient export from Eurasian Arctic lowland permafrost;<br />
• improve global scale climate models by helping to reduce uncertainties in the permafrost–climate feedback;<br />
• determine the impact of climate on the carbon emissions and exports from Siberian inland waters;<br />
• study terrestrial carbon transported to the Arctic shelf regions by rivers and coastal erosion and the effect of climate warming on this material;<br />
• assess the impact of Arctic warming on seabed sediment stability and the potential threat posed to the UK through natural hazards;<br />
• enhance UK’s representation in the Arctic Council;<br />
• negotiate in international organizations such as International Maritime Organization, OSPAR and Convention on Biological Diversity;<br />
• support further dialogue between the Arctic Council and its observers;<br />
• show commitment to maintain peace, stability and cooperation in line with international law;<br />
• develop UK understanding of relationships with non-Arctic states;<br />
• understand the changes that are taking place in the Russian Arctic in order to understand the changes in the whole Arctic;<br />
• recognize the important role of indigenous groups and promote their participation;<br />
• demonstrate the UK’s commitment to sustainable development of Arctic Communities;<br />
• look for mutually beneficial opportunities in the policy-making process;<br />
• engage with the Arctic Economic Council and seek opportunities to influence best operating practices in the Arctic;<br />
• facilitate compliance with local requirements to stimulate responsibility and engagement with and respect for local communities;<br />
• comply with the Polar Code and stimulate rules-based negotiation;<br />
• encourage Arctic States to engage in early open consultations regarding to fishing management;<br />
• explore options for agreeing other agreements with Arctic and non-Arctic States.</p>
<p>Last but not least, the UK Government, through this response, exposed its position to seek opportunities to work with Arctic and non-Arctic partners to enhance convergence and knowledge-base on the Arctic challenges, demonstrating leadership and comprehension of the relevant role of Arctic governance framework for a common future of options in the long run.</p>
</div></div></div>Thu, 06 Aug 2015 20:41:03 +0000Gisele Arruda189 at https://arcticsummercollege.orghttps://arcticsummercollege.org/arctic-governance-process-engagement-arctic-and-non-arctic-nations#comments